Blackmail
by Keep Moving Onwards
Summary: The team is forced to do something they never thought they do, in order to protect something even more important than their own lives.
1. Regret

**This is in response to Illucida's challenge for an evil young justice. **

**I do not own YJ or DC comics! Why would anyone think I do?**

**Enjoy! **

Robin hated it. He was by far the most experienced the most trained but, he still had to do it. Fully conscious and in control of his actions, of his own free will handing them money and weapons, hacking the systems of the places he wanted to protect. Maybe Bruce would have forgiven him, if he wasn't in control of his actions. That would make it so much simpler, if he was under someone else's control, but he wasn't. Dick Grayson had power over his own body. He had become a criminal, it was easier to look at it that way. He was in the wrong. That was how he lived how he kept going, ignoring the grays that his world had turned and only see the black and white that he once had... but now, he was was the one thing none of them thought would happen, but it happened anyway. They were stuck. There wasn't anyone left to get them out of their mess. Well it wasn't totally their mess but they were the ones affected, they were the ones that had been targeted. They each had a reason for what they were doing now.

Aqualad, he didn't deserve that name any more. Not after the things he had done. He couldn't bear having that happen, he was possibly the strongest of young justice but he wasn't strong enough. The man who was almost like a father to him, he couldn't bear to see that man die. That didn't justify his actions but the Atlantian had never wanted to justify his actions. Regardless Kaldur looked for a way out, a way to escape, for his friends as much as if not more than for himself. At least for Superboy. The young Kryptonian was only about a year old only a few months of actually experiencing life, he didn't deserve this.

Superboy wasn't there for the same reason as his friends, not exactly. His 'precious person' the one they were holding captive, the one who wasn't out there still fighting, M'gann. She was here. He had seen her, chained up and sick, but alive. The world thought that she was dead, they thought that he had killed her. They thought that Conner was the bad guy. That was true according to Robin, who said no matter the reason for committing crimes they were still villains. Conner didn't think that was true. If he thought like that he would never be able to face M'gann. He loved her, and he had proven again and again that he would do anything to protect her.

Kid Flash, fastest boy alive that was a fact, a proven statement, but what was the point? He couldn't out run this. He could run away he could do something none of the others could. He could run fast enough, far enough that he could forget all of this. Start over. That didn't matter, no matter how fast he was he couldn't out run the shadows that clung to him. If he ran, the person to pay for it wouldn't be him. It would be his uncle, the man who had raised him, his idol. And it wasn't just his mentor's life at stake; M'gann was his teammate, and his friends' mentors were like family. There wasn't anything left for Wally or his friends, until they died, and only if they died fighting their hardest for the ones they despised. That was the only way to free their precious ones from this curse.

One hope for a happy ending still thrived. Cloaked in strange, distorting shadows two archers stood, a green crossbow and a red short bow. The only ones who knew the truth that weren't enslaved by it. Artimis had no allegiances except to her friends, especially not to their family. Roy cared for the others, and he would stop at nothing to reveal them as the heroes they truly were.

**I have an idea for a second chapter for this but I'm not sure... Well there may be another chapter to this, so if you want one please tell me in that review you're about to write.**

**It's a pretty button ****and you know you want to press it ****so**

**PRESS THE BUTTON AND REVIEW**


	2. Mentors

**Hello people! I am so grateful for the wonderful reviews I received so I'm going to answer each of them individually!**

**Summer Frost 13: I'm glad you liked it! I hope it wasn't too confusing!**

**KrC: thanks! As for wether or not the blackmailers know the identities of the mentors, I don't know (read the note at the bottom for clarification on that)**

**Animecutie610: I was exited when I saw the long review! I hope this will satisfy you, even if it did take a while.**

Bruce didn't believe it, not at first. He didn't want to believe that Dick, his little robin, the boy he had raised, was out there doing all the things that he knew were wrong. At first he had assumed it was brain washing, but after several attempts the league discovered that the sidekicks were not under anyone's control and were committing crimes consciously and willingly. Batman wondered where he'd gone wrong, what he could have done that would have stopped the boy from taking this path. Somewhere inside he had shut down, no longer thinking about his actions, not just looking ahead, and looking to put an end to what he had started. Just focus on the mission, the league, no personal feelings included, that was his policy now, how he kept himself sane. He had to keep going until they were stopped.

Superman blamed himself for what had happened much more than any of the mentors. The way he saw things, when he had stayed away from Superboy, he had caused the kid to be more aggressive eventually leading to the murder of the young Martian girl (1). Unlike his colleague, his anger turned outward. His temper had gotten even worse and he had almost gotten mad at his day job. He didn't even know the kid, not really. From what Canary had said, the young clone wasn't very talkative and a bit brooding, but he really had never interacted with the kid. The only real conversation they had ever had was when the boy had reached out to him, asking for help figuring out his powers, but Clark had just left. True there was a good reason but, he never followed up and made a point to keep his contact with the boy to a minimum. He blamed himself probably the most heavily of all the members of the Justice League.

Canary had been shocked when she heard what the team had done. Her team, the ones she had trained. Sure it was all tough love but they didn't dislike her, did they? She was probably the one closest to the team as a whole. Individual members of the team were of course close to their respective mentors but, not the team as a whole. Batman was the one who deployed them on missions but still, he wasn't there, training them, interacting with the teens on a more personal level. Still it plagued her, how could she not have known, how could she not have realized before hand? She had no idea, was that how deep the betrayal truly was, so deep that they weren't the kids she had thought she had known at all?

Aquaman was shaken by Kaldur's betrayal on a very deep level. The boy was as much a son to him as his own son(2). The boy had always been so respectful, courteous. There was only one time that he could think of that the boy had stood against him on anything, back when the team had come into being. Perhaps that was it, what had changed the boy. Or had the boy changed? Had Aqualad been his father's son all along, a creature bent on destruction? If so why for so many years had the boy been content just to serve him? It was world shattering, the boy's loyalty had seemed so concrete, as expected as the tides, that when it changed it forced Orin to reevaluate almost everything in his life.

Green Arrow resigned from Justice League after seeing proof of the former sidekicks' betrayal. He hadn't heard from Artimis and he was still at an impasse with Roy. He didn't even want to think about what those two were doing, probably with their friends. He even speculated that Artimis had somehow convinced her team to turn to a life of crime. He didn't even know if Roy knew about what his friends had done. Knowing his ward's temper, he probably would have killed to know why his friends were doing these things. Therefore, while he hadn't kept the information from Roy he hadn't provided him any either. Ollie had hung up his cape, figuratively speaking. The man ran his corporate enterprise but he was out of the super community.

Flash had never expected this from his apprentice, his sweet little nephew who idolized him. The boy who had gone as far as to replicate his own near fatal accident just to get closer to his idol. But that wasn't what got Barry, what got him was the motive, or lack of one. He wasn't a thinker but he wasn't the idiot the rest of Leuge made him out to be, he was a forensic scientist in his day job for crying out loud! Still thinking and strategizing wasn't what he did he ran ahead regardless of the details and often got into trouble for it. He had no idea why Wally would suddenly change, and somehow he wondered if the boys were really doing this of their own free will, even after all of the tests they had run to conform that no one was controlling the boys.

What the speedster didn't know was that he was the only member of the league that saw even vaguely what was really going on. The only one who could see the biggest clue to a mystery no one in the league knew existed.

**Clarifications:**

**(1) Megan is alive but no one in JL knows that.**

**(2) In YJ Aquaman's son isn't born yet I'm twisting that for impact, though it changes nothing in the story long term.**

**A****fter this chapter something will actually happen, other than what people think about the situation. So… I need your help. I have no inspiration what so ever for who the villain should be, so please leave a suggestion. (I'm looking for a villain who already exists so on OCs ok?)**

**The sooner I get a villain the sooner chapter 3 comes out so give me ideas!**

**Thanks for reading! Review!**


	3. Heist

"There is a new assignment for you" one of the shimmering images spoke to the four boys. "You will be robbing the central city museum tonight at 8:30. As you know it is the largest of its kind in the world. No one has ever successfully pulled off a heist at the location. It's likely that you will encounter Justice League members. Remember our agreement." The screens switched off.

Kaldur still the team's leader and tactician, formed the group's plan. "Robin will hack the security, Superboy and Kid Flash will get the items, and I will remain on standby in case something goes wrong, or any of you need back up." The other three boys nodded silently and they set off.

Robin was tapping away at his keyboard, deactivating more and more of the security with every tap. He reached the last defenses. He was about to open the cases for some of the museum's most valuable items when something flew at him from behind.

He instinctively dodged the attack. Spinning around he found himself staring into the face of his old mentor. At the sight of Batman, something clutched at the boy wonder's gut. He didn't want to be doing this, but he had no choice.

The Boy Wonder swung out with his fist, attacking the dark night, catching the man off guard. They exchanged punches, each dodging the other's while managing to throw in an astonishing amount of their own.

Wally shifted his weight from foot to foot, waiting on Robin to open up the case that held some of the largest jewels (he was painfully aware of how much that sounded like a criminal). What could be taking the Boy Wonder so long? He realized something had to be wrong and touched his com, before he could even begin to speak he heard something that made him turn around.

Before Kid Flash had time to react, he was knocked out. The last thing he saw before his eyes shut was his old mentor, standing above him. An uncharacteristically serious look on his face, conveying the appropriate (for once) attitude for the situation.

Superboy turned around when he heard Wally fall to the floor.

The Flash was already hand cuffing his old sidekick in Justice League standard titanium handcuffs and a collar.

Conner tensed, sensing that an attack would come on him as well. He didn't have to wait more that a few seconds. Superman flew in and tackled his younger self. Superboy threw the older Kryptonian off him and stood. They charged each other, locking hands. Neither gave an inch in the deadlock until Superman raised his head slightly red tinting his eyes as the laser shot out of them. Superboy was thrown back, hitting the wall. He stood up and the two went at each other again, but Conner had lost a lot of his strength with the last attack. Clark slowly began to overwhelm the boy, pushing his hands behind his back and handcuffing him, fastening a collar around his neck as well.

The clone still fought kicking swinging his arms, doing anything he could, he had to. If those people ever found out that he didn't give his one hundred and ten percent Megan was...

Aqualad was waiting out front. When he heard radio static from Superboy and Robin's coms, he knew something was wrong.

Suddenly he saw his former mentor a fist flying at his face. Sidestepping, he brandished the short sticks and gathered water from the koi pond. It surged around him, gathering strength. He kept the older man at a distance with the longer range of his attacks, but Aquaman broke through. Kaldur used his water to form a spiked mace, hitting the other over the head as gently as he could while still knocking the bigger man out.

Aqualad turned around and was met with another attacker, his best friend, Garth. The black haired Atlantian lunged, landing on top of him, pinning him down temporarily. Kaldur pushed back and the two Atlantian started to roll, each grappling for an advantage over the other.

Slowly Kaldur began to gain the upper hand, but a moment before he could defeat his friend, he faltered for a second in his resolve, slackening his grip. He couldn't do this… but he had to. Resolve restored, he tried to regain the upper hand but it was lost. He found himself pinned, Garth's eyes betrayed his emotions a mixture of fury and sadness as he sapped the last of his platinum haired friend's strength.

The moment before he fell unconscious, Aqualad felt cold metal against his forearms.

Robin and Batman struggled, throwing weapons and clashing with their staffs. Neither seemed to give an inch and no one seemed to be gaining the upper hand.

While Batman topped Robin in experience, Robin had been trained from a younger age. Both knew their opponents inside out and neither would fall for the other's tricks. Just when it seemed like the battle wouldn't end robin felt something against the back of his head. He stumbled and then reached up to punch the dark night again. A bat-a-rang came from the other side of the room, pinning his hand to the wall. He turned around shocked, he saw Batgirl, his old friend. She looked like she was on the verge of crying as she advanced, locking on the handcuffs then whispering gruffly in his ear, "You're under arrest."

Dick went cold. What would happen now? They had always planned on dying eventually. Fighting their hardest, but what would happen if they went to prison? What would the light do to their mentors then? What would happen to Miss. M?

He didn't even see the next attack coming, Barbara swung her fist landing in the center of his gut. He saw black.

**An: Ok, sorry the fights aren't very good, but here's what you need to know: YJ lost to their mentors, Batgirl and Garth showed up.**

"What are we going to do with them?" Flash asked tentatively breaking the heavy silence that surrounded the group of heroes following the arrest.

"Prison, like all criminals, what else?" Black Canary replied, obviously trying to separate her feelings from the situation.

"Robin is going to come with me," Batman spoke with an air of finality "He's my problem and I'll deal with him." If anyone else had said this the group would have immediately assumed that they were going to kill the boy, but they all knew better. Bruce wouldn't resort to that sort of thing, no matter how badly someone hurt him.

Artemis grounded as she stowed her binoculars. "What now?" she looked at the red clad boy. "They got caught, but they won't say anything about why they were stealing. The league's going to lock them up and throw away the key."

"Not if we can help them." Roy spoke calmly his eyes narrowing.

The blond snorted "And what are we supposed to do? Bust them out?"

"There's a better way" Roy went over to his computer and started typing away "I'm calling in a friend, one with a contact inside Justice League."

**An: before you even think about it Roy isn't calling Luthor. You'll just have to read the next chapter to see who he is calling. **

**I want it clear that: **

**-Garth has not taken over as Aqualad, he just made an appearance so I could have them fight.**

**-Batgirl is Barbra Gorden and Dick knows **

**The more reviews I receive the quicker I will upload so if you want to see the next chapter please review and if you don't tell me what you think I'm doing poorly so I can improve! **

**Well, Press the pretty button and REVIEW **


	4. Prison

**I do not own YJ**

**A/n: Finally an update sorry it took so long, but this is a long chapter it's… more than 1750 words! That is a lot of words (for me). **

Text in parenthesis (example) reflects inner thoughts, random things and mostly references to chapters 1 and 2.

_Italics represent psychic communication_

The man was wearing a blue overcoat, a Ferrari hat, and a yellow shirt, (none of those where particularly odd considering the business). His most shocking feature was his face, or lack there fore of he was wearing a mask that covered all of his features replacing them with a total blank. The woman wore a black cape, a black leotard that showed her belly, and attached to the side of her leg she had a miniature crossbow.

"Huntress" Roy addressed the woman.

"What's this about Red? I had a date before you went and triggered his investigative side," the woman shot back, slightly irritated.

"So how exactly are these two supposed to help?" Artemis spoke irritably. "Our friends are still in the same situation, and we get arrested by the League for suspected involvement."

"Because, I have a plan but it requires help from inside the League. The one person I know that might actually believe us inside the League just happens to be Huntress's boyfriend," Roy tilted his head to indicate the man.

"My name is Question. I believe you are Artemis Crook, the girl who claims to be the niece of Green Arrow," the man in the Ferrari spoke.

"Claims to be?" Huntress asked.

"Another time," Roy responded.

"Well then, let's hear the full story."

Conner was the first to wake up. He looked around. he was in a cell, about the size of the one he had been in at Belle Reve. Aqualad and Kid Flash were laying at his side, both of them were wearing titanium handcuffs and power restraint collars. Conner checked his hands, and sure enough he was also wearing handcuffs and could feel the collar around his neck.

Next to him, Aqualad stirred. "Where is Robin?"

"He wasn't here when I woke up."

Kid Flash pushed himself up against a wall. "Best guess he's at the batcave."

Superboy looked down, vocalizing the thought running through all of their heads, (that was usually Robin's job) "What now?"

Two officers came up to the cell. One spoke roughly (like they were scum). "Water boy, you've got a visitor."

Kaldur stood, the man unlocked the door, quickly closing it behind him. He walked in-between the guards without a word. They stopped at one of the private rooms.

The room obviously was set up for visits and interrogation. It was painted white, with one bright florescent light bulb burning overhead. Aquaman was inside (Kaldur's heart clenched). The guards left, leaving him in the room with his (former) mentor.

The younger Atlantian looked at the floor, trying desperately to avoid Aquaman's gaze.

"I was a fool to trust you. I can see that now. (Why Kaldur, why?) As I am sure you are aware, you committed treason and the penalty for such things in Atlantis is your life."

Kaldur didn't even flinch. Part of him was even happy, he could finally escape the hellhole that was his life.

"But instead I have decided to let the surface dwellers judge you." Orin continued, "It was their lands you plundered, so it is them that you shall answer to. I know how infatuated you always seemed with the surface world. (Or was that an act too?) Now you'll get an inside look at how they decide the gravity of crimes."

Kaldur remained silent. Orin twitched. "Do you have anything to say for yourself?" he roared.

"No, my king." The boy's reply was barely a whisper.

"I am no longer your king, I am severing all of my ties to you. (I want nothing to do with a criminal.) I suppose the apple doesn't fall far from the tree after all."

The two guards walked into the room and Kaldur left with them.

When Aqualad (was that even a name he could use anymore?) returned to the cell, he was surprised to see that Kid Flash was no longer in the room.

Conner answered his unspoken question. "They came for him while you were gone, said he had a visitor."

The older boy nodded and they sat in silence.

"3rd degree murder, thievery, assault of an officer, murder of an officer, running from law enforcement, attack of a Justice League member, assassination of political figures… need I go on?" Batman glared at Robin.

The two men were in the batcave (robin couldn't be called a boy, not after what he had seen, what he had caused). Robin was out of uniform, his mask had been removed. He was wearing titanium handcuffs.

"These are only a few of the charges facing you. You are a criminal and a murderer. Now I want to know why. What made you do this?"

"I…" Robin stuttered. "I felt like it." Oh how he hated saying those words, he hated lying to Batman, but he had to. (He had seen his parents die once, never again.)

Batman glared "You expect me to believe that you killed those people, destroyed those lives, on a childish whim?"

Robin didn't answer, he looked down, not able to even look at his mentor after what he had just claimed.

"Robin, if you just tell me who you were working for, or perhaps some criminal's identity, you may be able to dodge the death sentence.

Robin didn't speak. He kept looking away. (He deserved the death sentence anyway.)

Batman held up an injection needle. "Listen to me, I don't want to have to do this, but if you continue to refuse to cooperate, I'll have to. The drug in this device simulates total sensual deprivation. It's used on criminals at incredibly high security prisons as a substitute for an isolation cell. It quite literally leaves you alone with your thoughts." (1)

Robin didn't even move. Whatever Bruce did he had earned it. He should just tell Bruce, but he couldn't risk it. He couldn't risk his mentor's life on the hope of dodging a sentence he had earned many times over.

Batman walked over to the boy, injecting the substance into his arm.

Kid Flash sat at a chair in a room almost identical to the one Kaldur had been in only a few minutes ago. Flash (in uniform) stood in front of him.

Barry began, "I always thought that I did a good thing by helping you with your powers. I thought that you were a good kid. I thought that but, I can see now I was wrong. You're not going to be cut any breaks. I think I finally understand why you and Trickster were such good friends. You're just like him. Both of you act innocent, both of you proved many times you aren't. You're no different from the criminals I fight. I only came to make sure you understood where we stand. I'm not going to help you. You got yourself into this. And you aren't going to get out of making up for it." (It doesn't make sense, why'd you do it?)

With that Flash left the room. His (former) partner collapsed, sobbing.

When Wally returned to the cell he was still shaking, tremors racked his whole body. He cried.

Superboy and Aqualad tried to comfort the boy by being there. They didn't know what had happened, but it was clear that it wasn't good and that it had hurt the young speedster deeply.

"And that's what really happened." Roy finished his lengthy and in depth description of the events that led to this point.

Question looked thoughtful. (How could a faceless mask look thoughtful?) "Why do you need my help?" he asked.

"I need you to contact Wonder Woman, and it would be helpful if you made her a little more open to the idea that they are innocent."

"What do you intend to do then?"

"I'm going to ask her to use her lasso to make them confess, in a manner of speaking."

"And then?"

"I'm going to let the League take over then, see what they can do."

"What if the villains decide to do what you say they are capable of?"

"Kill the League mentors? I'm going by their headquarters tonight to make sure that doesn't happen."

"And the girl?"

"Artemis is going to get her from the place where they're keeping her before I go to the headquarters."

"How do you know where their headquarters are?"

"I'm going to one of the rooms they use for communication. From there I can track each of their signals and find out their identities as well as access all of their information."

"How are you planning on hacking their systems?"

"I have a device, given to me by a somewhat grateful scientist (2), just for that purpose."

"Do you know why I'm asking so many questions?"

"To make sure I have a solid plan."

"Good. Well, I'll do my best on my end."

Suddenly Artemis let out a gasp, falling to her knees.

Huntress reacted first, rushing over to the younger woman. "What's wrong?"

"I don't know. I just felt really sad, like my world had been torn out from under me." Artemis replied, trying to regain her composure.

**A/n:**

**Yay! Huntress and Question, I absolutely love these two. Question would make a great contribution to YJ except for that he's too smart for it he plays the role of a conspiracy buff and I doubt that he would have missed the Light.**

**Wonder Woman has gotten very little screen time so far. The only things she has done is appear with the league when they show various members fighting, arriving at Cadmus. So yeah I'm giving her the screen time an awesome Amazon deserves!**

**1) I am fully aware that total sensual deprivation often leads to insanity, for the purpose of this fan-fiction, it will not. **

**2) Somewhat grateful scientist with the ability to create that sort of device, who could it possibly be? I'll give you a hint she appeared in 'Infiltrated' ;)**

**I'm not sure if I made this clear but, Me'gan has been unconscious since before this whole thing started, but has been monitoring the situation, so she knows what's happened but is helpless to stop it in her current state. For a reason that I don't know she can't just contact her uncle and tell him what's really happening. **

**Well please review! **

***Waves hand Jedi-style* You will review the fan-fiction.**


	5. Pain

**I do not own YJ**

**A/n: An update! Sorry it took so long! I really am, I needed time to collect my thoughts on where I wanted this story to go…I still have almost no idea, but I got a chapter up! **

**I'm sick, I finished editing this, but it might take me a bit on Roy's blog, cuze I have to catch up on the blogs and get better. **

Text in parenthesis (example) reflects inner thoughts, random things and mostly references to chapters 1 and 2.

_Italics represent psychic communication_

Megan was aware of everything that was going on. There was nothing she could do about it though. She couldn't even wake up, much less tell someone what was going on. Her mind had allowed her to see what was happening to her teammates and it broke her heart. The ultimate torture for the pure hearted girl, to know that her team was doing this to protect her.

When she found out through the archer's mind that Artemis was going to come rescue her she became anxious. The bindings that held her somehow limited her psychic powers but, if she was freed the Martian was confident she could send out a message to her team and league revealing the truth.

batcave

Robin lay (or was he standing?) in the darkness. Memories flashed across his mind. At first they were happy nice memories, the first time he had successfully performed a triple flip, having fun with his family, one of those rare times that he and Bruce actually spent like a normal family, meeting Conner. Eventually, his memories started taking a darker turn, 'dying' in that simulated world, his parents' death, betraying Bruce.

The darkness began to close in, like it was trying to suffocate him. Robin struggled to calm his mind, to focus on something, but there was nothing to focus on, other than the memories of blood, killing, hurting, and knowing the whole time that he was doing it fully for his own selfish reason (he wouldn't let Bruce die). Knowing that for the life of the man who was his only family, he had sacrificed so much, even the man's love.

Dick started to accept it, this is what he deserved, this was his punishment for everything he had done. He just resigned to it, knowing (at least in his own opinion) that he deserved much worse.

Just as his fate became bearable the memories intensified, vivid and confronting, almost attacking him. Suddenly it stopped.

He was sitting in the bat cave, exactly in the same position as when Bruce had injected him.

"That was two minutes." The dark knight spoke in a gruff impassive tone. "Are you going to answer my questions now?"

Robin looked down, he wouldn't do it, he couldn't! He had to stay strong, for all of them. Somewhere inside him he knew he was caving, that those memories that flashed near the end had been strong enough to nearly break his resolve, and that it was very unlikely that he could survive anymore of it.

"This isn't easy for me, but we both know it's a hell of a lot worse for you. If you just answer my questions this will be over." The dark knight spoke.

"I already did." Robin managed to choke out.

"Who were you working for?"

"No one." (Working for someone meant you got something in return for your services.)

"Who were you working with?"

"Kid Flash, Superboy and Aqualad." (He was working with them, even if it was clear that wasn't what Batman had meant.)

"Don't lie."

Robin fought to put on the semblance of a smirk (he had to make it convincing) "I'm not."

Conner didn't know what had happened to the other two boys while they were away but he could tell it had hurt both of them deeply.

Wally had broken down, he was sobbing and shaking, hurt from something deep inside of him. The boy was beyond any attempts to comfort him, but held on to Conner's hand desperately, as though to anchor himself in reality. Conner returned the grip firmly, with controlled strength. Enough to tell the red head he was there but not hurting him. If anything good came out of this mess, Conner would have learned to control his strength.

Kaldur was trying to be strong, but it was clear that something had happened that deeply hurt the teen. There was a strange emptiness in Kaldur's eyes, a look of resignation and regret, but there was something else too, something deeper, like something had struck the young Atlantian to the core. Kaldur's hand gripped on to the symbol that he usually wore on his belt. 'The symbol of Atlantis,' Superboy's brain informed him, 'it is traditionally given to members and close allies of the royal family by the Ruler of Atlantis. It is considered the utmost of honors to be awarded it.'

Kaldur's expression reminded Superboy of how he had felt when Superman had ignored him back at the destroyed Cadmus building (when he was at Cadmus, he never even thought Superman would hate him).

Superman, he probably wouldn't come to see Conner (Superman probably thought of him as just another criminal that he had stopped). Somewhere deep inside of him, the boy acknowledged that he never really had gotten to know Superman in the first place, but the same could be said in reverse.

Conner had to be strong. Out of the three boys he was the only one who hadn't cracked yet. He had to stay strong, for his friends, for the league, for Me'gan.

Watch tower

Wonder Woman walked down the hall towards her room.

"Diana,"

Her head wipped around at the sound of her name. Question was leaning on the wall. "I need some help with an investigation."

The Amazionan's eyes narrowed with suspicion. "Why do you want me to help?"

"Because your skills are the only ones suited to the task."

"And what skills would those be?" she asked, she hated that the man couldn't seem to get to the point.

"Your lasso."

"So you want me to beat up some thugs for you and get information from them?" she asked, confused. Usually Question would ask Batman for something like that.

"Not exactly. That's the other reason I asked you."

"And that other reason is?"

"You have the access of an original member. You can do things, go places, vote in decisions, see people, that I can not."

Diana's eyes narrowed further "What do you want?"

"Four children were apprehended a few days ago during a bank robbery. I have received information that indicates they might not have been totally willing," Question replied.

"So you want me to use the lasso to check their story."

"Will you help?"

Diana sighed, "Since the children's defection the league has started to break down, come on we have a society of heroes to save."

**An: I despise writing ****Diana****, I don't hate her and I wish they would give her a few lines once in a while at least, but I just can't write her well. I also am not very good at dialog. This chapter really just sets up the next one, so yeah. **

**PLEASE review! I need reviews; they motivate me and help me improve my writing. **


	6. action

**Sorry this took so long. I have a pretty complicated writing process so the amount of time I take on these things varies. **

**I don't own YJ. **

A few days, maybe a week had passed since anything significant had happened in the cell the three boys shared. Conner had held them together though flimsily. Right now, his main concern was Wally. Even with both he and Kaldur giving extra bits of their food to him, the boy was quickly growing weaker. Prison food wasn't very plentiful or delicious in the first place, but with Wally's metabolism, it was verging on lethal.

The cell door opened, causing the boys to look up. Two officers entered the cell. "Mini-flash," one of them spoke harshly. "You're coming with us." He moved over to grab Wally, but Conner stepped in his way, barring the man's path with a growl.

The man reached for the button to activate Conner's collar, but was stopped by a voice from the door. "I think it will be better suited to our needs to conduct business here." The boys and the officers both turned to see Question and Wonder Woman standing in the doorway.

Question, obviously the one who had first spoken, walked casually into the room. The officers exchanged looks, and left.

Conner stood in front of Wally and Kaldur defensively. "What do you want?" he asked.

Question reached inside of his coat pocket and pulled out an item, a small energy bar. Wally looked up, his eyes hopeful at the prospect of food.

"I thought so. Prisons **do **ignore the meta-human needs regulations," he muttered, sounding quite satisfied with himself.

Diana rolled her eyes. "Let's get to the point here. We're going to be asking you some questions, and you are going to answer them."

"Why would we do that?" Conner asked, trying to sound resolute.

"Because, you don't have a choice," Wonder Woman replied as she pulled her lasso from its place at her waist and skillfully wrapped it around Kaldur, who had been standing inanimately behind Conner.

Artemis landed softly on the ground in front of the gate, quickly incapacitating the three guards. "Go time," she muttered, vaulting over the gate while shooting an explosive arrow at the door beyond.

Artemis rarely had a chance to use her real skill level. Her father's training had put her on a level where she could go hand to hand with Black Canary, but she never showed that level of prowess until now. (It would have caused too many questions). As she ran though the building, knocking out guards that came at her, rushing for the room where her sister (non-biological) was being held, none of that mattered. She was going to save Me'gan, fuck consequences.


End file.
